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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. game — wild animals
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. key — in music
  9. spring — the season
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com